Governmental Immunity or Sovereign Immunity

Generally, public entities cannot be held liable for their negligent acts unless they agree to the contrary. There are limited exceptions to this general rule. For example, in Colorado, the exceptions are contained in the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (CGIA). If your claim doesn’t fall into one of the specifically listed categories, you cannot recover against the responsible public entity. In Colorado, there is also a requirement that you provide notice to the appropriate governmental agent within 182 days of the incident. Keep in mind that entities that you might not expect may fall under this rule, including many hospitals, schools, universities, and other places that are publicly owned or funded. Colorado publishes a list of local governmental entities. Keep in mind that this list does not include every entity that is covered by the CGIA.